Amish Cook: Éclair dessert recipe

Hello to everyone from Gloria's Mom's kitchen! I'm sitting here at our kitchen table with a cup of coffee while watching snowflakes drift down lazily. Last winter I had the privilege of seeing several pictures of snowflakes through a microscope view. Wow! What an awesome sight.

Daniel, Gloria, and children are in Ohio this week. I'll let Gloria fill in those details next week. It will be so nice to have them back home again.

It is very quiet here at the Raber home. Husband David and son Jeriah left to do their turkey chores. We have three 500 foot turkey barns and then on to their logging job. Our scholars Anna Faith and Keturah are at school. Today, hot lunch will be served at school, which is a treat for the teachers, pupils and the moms (no lunch buckets to pack!) Recently there was hot lunch served at school and I forgot and sent buckets along to school. Sigh. Every other week there is one day where parents rotate and bring in a hot lunch for the scholars. Gloria will write about that in a future column.

Last evening we lengthened our kitchen table and had a belated birthday meal for son Michael who turned 22. With Michael's family and son Javin's there were 12 of us around the table. Micah had requested "BLT pizza." I also made crusty baked potatoes and "Éclair dessert." I was first introduced to Éclair Dessert through several of our church ladies who come from Allen County, Indiana. It is a top-notch 5-star rating dessert! I'll include the recipe in this article It's similar to cream puffs. I remember some of us girls helping make cream puffs years ago in a home economics class.

Early this morning, Micah, wife Rose, and baby Jeanette, left for Indianapolis where they will board a plane and head for China on a mission trip. They'll be gone 4 1/2 weeks. I hope 5-month-old Jeanette will enjoy the trip. Usually she's a content, cheery baby with a ready smile although sometimes she's scared of some strangers. Isn't it something how secure a baby feels with Daddy and Mom? Rose told me yesterday was the first time that they had gone away with horse and buggy that it wasn't too cold for Jeanette. She was able to sit up and look out and see the horse. She was so intrigued and fascinated! Rose's family are horse lovers so Jeanette just might be the same.

My husband David and son Jeriah are planning to join Micah's family on their mission trip several weeks from now and then return home with them. So that means the three girls and I will have to keep "the home fires burning." I have a feeling we are going to be more than ready to have Daddy and Jeriah home again! "Absence makes the heart grow (even more) fonder" you know.

The girls and I would like to go to Holmes County, Ohio, and spend time with my family while the others are on their trip. We'd be gone about five days. That means family food and fellowship! My niece is getting married this summer and I'm looking forward to sitting around the table with Mom, my two sisters and nieces and hearing all about the wedding plans, wedding colors and wedding menu. It's a major event. Hopefully, Gloria will fill you in about the wedding then afterward. Enjoy this delicious éclair dessert!

ÉCLAIR DESSERT

1 cup water

1/2 cup butter

1 cup flour

4 eggs

Bring water and butter to a boil. Turn off heat and add flour all at one time. Stir until smooth ball forms. Remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, stirring well after each addition. Beat until smooth. Spread in a greased 15 X 11 pan. Bake at 400 for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Cool. Put the following filling on top:

8 ounces cream cheese

1 cup instant pudding (2 small boxes)

3 cups milk

Top with 1 quart pie filling of your choice ( I used strawberry) Or you can drizzle with chocolate syrup. Top with 8 ounces tub of whipping topping. Serve chilled.